Remote SHP school hosts first graduation

Education

A REMOTE pioneer school in the Imbonggu district of Southern Highlands had its first Grade Eight graduation last Friday.
It was a joyful moment for the people living in the area that shares borders with Mendi-Munihu and Nipa-Kutubu electorates.
The Pinj Rehabilitation School was established in 1975 and after operating for nearly 20 years, it was moved to Mil-Werip Primary due to administrative matters.
However, in 2011, the community decided to rehabilitate the old school after seeing the hardship and struggle the parents and children faced to have access to education.
Head teacher Heka Seeto said community participation and support was vital as it has resulted in the successful end of the school year with the first ever Grade Eight graduation.
“This year, the school has witnessed vast changes with the improvement of infrastructures and commitment of the eight teachers that taught the Grade Eight class,” she said, proud of the achievement.
“I am just a servant and my performance at the school will be judged by the community.
“I had the best well-disciplined Grade Eight students this year and that behaviour must continue as you continue to high, secondary schools and tertiary institutions.”
In 2011, Robert Temo, landowner and teacher who founded the school in 1975, held a meeting with his brothers to discuss and identify a piece of land for the school and built buildings from bush material.
School chairman John Tiso said in 2011, through the arrangement of the provincial education board, three teachers were posted to the area headed by Simon Kuno and enrolled grades 3, 4, 5 and 6.
“In 2012, we had the first education adviser’s visit to the area to see the progress of the school,” he said.
“The same year, former governor late Anderson Agiru gave K200,000 for the construction of a double permanent classroom replacing the old one which was made from bush material.
“In the second quarter of the year, district education adviser Nicholas Kolowa committed his time and effort in the rehabilitation, registration and the enrolment update of the students.”
Tiso said Kolowa used his own money to travel to Port Moresby to register the school and secured K44,000 of national education funds to build another permanent classroom.
In 2014, the Imbonggu district development authority funded K50,000 and third permanent classroom was erected and last year, the school was fortunate to receive K500,000 from the provincial government.
“Using that money, all bush material buildings were pulled down and today, we have permanent buildings,” he said.
Within five years, the school now has permanent classrooms, administration office and staff houses unlike other schools that have operated for many years.